A cause of death has been revealed for Slash’s 25 stepdaughter, Lucy-Bleu Knight, who died last month in Los Angeles at age 25.
Knight died of hydrogen sulfide toxicity, with the manner confirmed to be suicide, the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a press release Thursday.
The colorless, flammable, and highly toxic gas — known for smelling like rotten eggs — can cause “extremely rapid unconsciousness and death” when inhaled in high concentrations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even acute exposure can result in nausea, headaches, delirium, convulsions and irritation to the skin or eyes.
Knight — the biological daughter of the Guns N’ Roses guitarist’s longtime partner Meegan Hodges — was found unresponsive on the afternoon of July 19 during a welfare check at a private residence. She was pronounced dead at 3 p.m. local time, according to the medical examiner.
Slash confirmed Knight’s death two days later on Instagram, shortly after announcing the sudden cancellation of several dates of his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
On July 22, in what appeared to be a previously scheduled post, Knight’s account shared a selfie with a caption serving as an apparent suicide note.
“Whether I made you feel excluded, manipulated/controlled you, told you to quit your day job from the comfort of being financially supported by my parents, or drowned real issues in toxic positivity — I am sorry,” Knight wrote. “Countless missed opportunities and connections due to a disgustingly big ego, insecure heart and fear of being vulnerable. May my soul learn to evolve from my poor job at being Lucy-Bleu. Peace.”
The 59-year-old guitarist spoke again days later, saying his “heart is permanently fractured.”
“I will never ever stop missing you and remembering what a beacon of happiness, laughter, creativity and beauty you have always been and still are,” Slash captioned a photo of Knight. “The brightest light in the lives of so many that loved you so much. I find solace in the hope that you are at peace now. I will love you eternally.”